Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
- Thread starter LifelongLearner
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Gods love is a virtue. A character trait. It is what He is.
Virtue love is based upon who and what He is. Not upon who or what He loves. He is the reason He loves.
We can gain this virtue through Christ in us. Based upon Christ in us, we can have this very love for mankind.
We can look upon our enemies and love them based on Christ in us.......And Growing in His Grace and Knowledge, we come to know this type of love. It is not a trait that mankind possesses before He indwells us.
Therefore, we can witness to ALL, because like us, Christ died for them.
Abraham was not conversing with the Angel of the Lord (who is the Lord) but what appeared to be three men, one of whom he recognised to be the Lord.
I fail to see what the Judges verse has to do with the appearance of three "men". I have been very clear that one of those "men" was the pre-incarnate Christ, the lord Yahweh.
Show me where in scripture the Father and the Spirit are said to be incarnated and you might have a case. Explain how Christ can say no-one has seen the Father while at the same time claiming one of those men Abraham was seeing, was the Father incarnate.
Showing me a verse where someone was speaking with the pre-incarnate Christ as the Angel of the Lord and trying to claim therefore the three "men" must be the Trinity, is stretching it to the extreme as far as I am concerned. Nowhere in scripture is the Angel of the Lord referred to in the plural.
I wasn't going to touch that one. Just another irrational thought I didn't see the point in contending.
If you didn't understand me in my earlier post, then you won't if I repeat it. Using your own words, angels that manifested in flesh did so to do the work of the Lord, but it's too big a logical leap for me to assume that angels can manifest themselves to make angel/man hybrid offspring giants. Jesus is truly God/Man but wasn't any taller than, what, seven feet? You are free to adopt the angel baby daddy theory all you will.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not grieve the Spirit.
Be filled with the Spirit.
Walk in the Spirit.
1 John 1:9
1. Rebound
2. The Filling of the Holy Spirit
3. Faith-Rest
4. Grace Orientation
5. Doctrinal Orientation
6. A Personal Sense of Destiny
7. Personal Love for God the Father
8. Impersonal Unconditional Love for all Mankind
9. Contentment and Perfect Happiness with God
10. Occupation with the Lord Jesus Christ
Solutions to Problems
https://gbible.org/e-books/10-problem-solving-devices/
The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.
And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him
and will reveal myself to him.” John 14:21
grace and peace!
I know EXACTLY what you mean by this comment.
I will NEVER go back to the dog and pony show.
I do believe that the fallen angels had sexual relations with human women. But there is another option.......Genetically modified somehow. Humans do it. Nothing says angels cannot.
I think we have a tendency to look at the ancients as inferior to today's society. When, in fact, God had to disperse people and confuse languages because they were "accomplishing" too much.
I don't do anything wrong here so I have idea what your talking about.
If you want to use Gods word against me when I'm calling out religious racism and God being called a rapist then do so at your own peril
You aren't alone in that belief, but I don't mean to shame anyone for accepting it that it might be possible. However, does the fact that many people also believe it make it easier to accept as true? It's not that I always opt for the road less traveled but rather than I like to familiarize myself with all the possibilities before I choose the course that I take.
And the tendency to look at the ancients as inferior might be the current view in general, but I believe that view falls in line with the theory of evolution and the idea that each generation becomes smarter than the last before them. But I'm not completely convinced about that.
Case in point.
It is my opinion that fallen angels might have a great influence over the choices of men, but it is, ultimately, men that make the choice in following their own lusts. And, if the reality is that spiritual men (sons of God) fell by 'following' their carnal desires (daughters of men) then the idea that it must've been ultra natural powerful beings that actually brought judgment upon the world of men diminishes the seriousness and severity of such frivolous treatment of God's paternal government by each individual that He might otherwise consider as His son (as He did Adam, and so it is logical to assume each subsequent generation from Adam, or so I might think). After all, you must have noticed the laws severity in the treatment of the disobedient son.
Babel catastrophe...same type of crisis IMO. Genesis 6.... entire world gets destroyed.
Sodom and Jericho and Canaan had very grave problems in this regard. God sent His armies to deal with it. And even Judges 19 demonstrates more of the same.
During the conquest of Canaan, the land was infested with giants such as Og, and the Israelite spies saw nephilim in Canaan, the exact same term as Genesis 6.
Even Chedorlaomer slew a slew of giants, as did Moses. And of course David and his mighty men slew Goliath and his 4 brothers (five smooth stones!).
You see @Mem , the Biblical pattern is:
Unlawful cohabitating and collaborating between (literal) angels and men brings SWIFT response of extremely severe judgement. The most severe.
Aahhmmm..... succeeding generations DEGRADE physically and mentally. We are pathetic specimens nowadays. At least I am for sure.You aren't alone in that belief, but I don't mean to shame anyone for accepting it that it might be possible. However, does the fact that many people also believe it make it easier to accept as true? It's not that I always opt for the road less traveled but rather than I like to familiarize myself with all the possibilities before I choose the course that I take.
And the tendency to look at the ancients as inferior might be the current view in general, but I believe that view falls in line with the theory of evolution and the idea that each generation becomes smarter than the last before them. But I'm not completely convinced about that.
Case in point.
It is my opinion that fallen angels might have a great influence over the choices of men, but it is, ultimately, men that make the choice in following their own lusts. And, if the reality is that spiritual men (sons of God) fell by 'following' their carnal desires (daughters of men) then the idea that it must've been ultra natural powerful beings that actually brought judgment upon the world of men diminishes the seriousness and severity of such frivolous treatment of God's paternal government by each individual that He might otherwise consider as His son (as He did Adam, and so it is logical to assume each subsequent generation from Adam, or so I might think). After all, you must have noticed the laws severity in the treatment of the disobedient son.
Peak Adam and the pre-flood patriarchs were mentally and physically superhuman no doubt. The civilization must have been truly hyperborean.
Add fallen angel interlopers and whoops..... outright rebellion and devastating judgement similar to the AC end time scenario and Gog Magog final war. Oh yea....Babel too. Same scenario IMO.
Even Job and Abraham were far more vigorous than we, the environment far more salubrious.
BTW, the Genesis 6 human women were doubtless throwing themselves at these fallen angel superbeings. Surely it was consensual in many if not most cases, the family most agreeable.You aren't alone in that belief, but I don't mean to shame anyone for accepting it that it might be possible. However, does the fact that many people also believe it make it easier to accept as true? It's not that I always opt for the road less traveled but rather than I like to familiarize myself with all the possibilities before I choose the course that I take.
And the tendency to look at the ancients as inferior might be the current view in general, but I believe that view falls in line with the theory of evolution and the idea that each generation becomes smarter than the last before them. But I'm not completely convinced about that.
Case in point.
It is my opinion that fallen angels might have a great influence over the choices of men, but it is, ultimately, men that make the choice in following their own lusts. And, if the reality is that spiritual men (sons of God) fell by 'following' their carnal desires (daughters of men) then the idea that it must've been ultra natural powerful beings that actually brought judgment upon the world of men diminishes the seriousness and severity of such frivolous treatment of God's paternal government by each individual that He might otherwise consider as His son (as He did Adam, and so it is logical to assume each subsequent generation from Adam, or so I might think). After all, you must have noticed the laws severity in the treatment of the disobedient son.
Who wouldn't want super-soldier seed of the serpent super DNA in the family?
Don't all Reformed think that God specializes in shotgun weddings without permission or consent? Like an omnipotent troglodyte with a spiritual club seeking a victim wife?
I mean this is certainly their opinion regarding the New Covenant marriage contract? Right?
That was the plan THEN.
Aaaannddd that will be similar (but not exactly) to the plan AGAIN in the near future with the AC and mark of the beast.
It's hard for us to keep the unseen war in focus.You aren't alone in that belief, but I don't mean to shame anyone for accepting it that it might be possible. However, does the fact that many people also believe it make it easier to accept as true? It's not that I always opt for the road less traveled but rather than I like to familiarize myself with all the possibilities before I choose the course that I take.
And the tendency to look at the ancients as inferior might be the current view in general, but I believe that view falls in line with the theory of evolution and the idea that each generation becomes smarter than the last before them. But I'm not completely convinced about that.
Case in point.
It is my opinion that fallen angels might have a great influence over the choices of men, but it is, ultimately, men that make the choice in following their own lusts. And, if the reality is that spiritual men (sons of God) fell by 'following' their carnal desires (daughters of men) then the idea that it must've been ultra natural powerful beings that actually brought judgment upon the world of men diminishes the seriousness and severity of such frivolous treatment of God's paternal government by each individual that He might otherwise consider as His son (as He did Adam, and so it is logical to assume each subsequent generation from Adam, or so I might think). After all, you must have noticed the laws severity in the treatment of the disobedient son.
We all tend to think that mankind, and what mankind does or does not do is the "focus." But we are not.
Satan and the fallen angels are the true focus. The unseen war.....The angelic conflict.
We are here to help resolve the major issue. Satan was judged and his fate is sealed. But obviously he is still around in what we could call an "appeal trial."
And mankind was created to be a witness in this trial for the Lord Jesus Christ........God is love. God is just. God is fair. God is benevolent. God is righteous in His judgement of Satan.
When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and Live the Christian way of life.......We have the privilege to be a witness of Gods Grace and mercy. Justice. Righteousness.
We are judging the fallen angels........1 Cor 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?
Satan failed at corrupting the seed. Now he tries his level best to hide the seed(the Lord Jesus Christ) from mankind. Mankind can be a witness to his GUILT in the matter.
yes ... and vs 23 ... If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.